‘Celtic laughing’ as Louie Barry exit at Aston Villa now possibly days away
Aston Villa are expected to lose some key players this summer.
After Villa narrowly missed out on qualifying for the Champions League on the last day of the season, it became apparent that Unai Emery would have to sanction some sales in the transfer window.
Despite the club’s hierarchy exploring different loopholes to help Villa’s current PSR situation, player sales will unfortunately be necessary.
This has not stopped the Villans from looking to bring in new players, with Alejandro Garnacho being linked with a move to Villa Park.
Louie Barry among those who could leave Aston Villa
Louie Barry may not fall into the ‘key player’ category just yet, but he is a player who is highly thought of at Villa Park.
The talented youngster spent the first half of last season on loan at Stockport in League One, before Villa recalled Barry and sent him on loan to Hull City in the Championship for the second half of the campaign.
Injuries prevented Barry from replicating the success he had achieved at Stockport during his time in Yorkshire.
| Louie Barry | Stats (League 1 2024/25) |
| Appearences | 23 |
| Goals | 15 |
| Assists | 2 |
Now the versatile forward looks set to leave B6 permanently, with Villa informing Barry that he is free to find a new club before the end of the week, according to Football Insider (24 June).
Villa rejecting a bid of £10million after add-ons for Barry in January from Celtic looks to be a mistake in hindsight, with Barry’s injury and Villa’s need for cash meaning the youngster will likely collect a smaller fee.
Whether the Scottish giants go back in for the forward remains to be seen, but Celtic will be laughing if they can secure Barry for a smaller fee just six months later.
Leander Dendoncker and Kaine Kesler-Hayden also have similar fates to Barry, with the club hoping to get rid of the trio before the accounts deadline on 30 June to help ease their ongoing PSR concerns.
While getting rid of these players who don’t have a future at Villa Park will not upset supporters too much, some first-team stars look to be following them out the door, according to the same reports.
Emi Martinez is named as one of those players who could leave, with Manchester United interested in the Argentinian shot stopper.
More signings needed amid wave of players exiting Villa Park
If Emery’s side want to qualify for the Champions League next season, then strengthening as much as possible within the parameters of PSR is necessary.
Getting rid of more deadwood, like Philippe Coutinho, could help to facilitate this.
While a potential Garnacho signing is an exciting possibility, Villa must be wary of his potential attitude issues that have made Manchester United supporters furious with the winger.
If the Villans can only make a few signings in the summer due to financial restrictions, getting them right will be more critical than ever.
Sign up for the Villa News WhatsApp channel and turn on notifications to have all the latest, breaking Aston Villa news sent straight to your phone.